Diarrhea is widespread among the world's population. In certain diseases, this enteric disorder can be the cause of a high degree of morbidity and even mortality.
The narcotic analgesics remain the drugs of choice for treatment of diarrhea and dysentery. This group of drugs, however, has serious disadvantages. They possess the narcotic properties of producing sleep as well as analgesia. They also have physical and psychological dependence liabilities. Morphine and codeine remain two outstanding examples of this group.
In 1957 a merperidine derivative, diphenoxylate, was introduced into therapeutic regimen of diarrhea control. This agent possesses morphine-like as well as anticholinergic properties, both of which may be responsible for its anti-diarrheal actions. Diphenoxylate, because of its narcotic properties, is capable of supporting morphine physical dependence in the monkey. Overdoses in children can lead to symptoms and fatalities that are characteristic of the narcotics, e.g. respiratory depression and reversal of morbidity with nalorphine.
Past attempts have failed to indicate that a chemical could be found that would have anti-diarrheal properties without addiction liability, however:
We have unexpectedly found potent anti-diarrheal agents;
We have unexpectedly found a class of chemical compounds which have anti-diarrheal properties without accompanying side effects which are common with these agents;
We have further unexpectedly found that amidinourea compounds are effective antidiarrheal agents having a minimum of side effects;
We have also unexpectedly found that administration of amidinoureas is a simple and effective method for the treatment of diarrhea disorders which does not have physical dependence capacity;
We have still further found effective anti-diarrheal compositions void of undesirable side effects and which have an amidinourea compound as the active ingredient.